Annually, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) gathers industry professionals to present insights, new products, trending solutions and more. This year, from June 17-20, the conference and expo will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, in San Antonio. 

Nearly 400 registered exhibitors will be on hand. Sponsors include: FIREX, UL, Victaulic, FM, ETL/Intertek, Mircom, StarLink Fire, Loos & Co., Peerless Pump, Johnson Controls, AutoSPRINK and Gielle Industries. Over the course of three days, attendees will be able to attend the expo, education sessions and the technical meeting. 

Expo

The expo floor will showcase the latest products and services that professionals need to meet and maintain compliance with prevailing codes and standards in the design, construction and operation of buildings. The floor will be open during the following hours: June 17, 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.; June 18, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; and June 19, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

A special feature of this year’s expo will be the National Electrical Code (NEC) and Emerging Technology Showcase. From smart building technology to energy storage systems and Ethernet power, attendees will learn about innovations in technology that are transforming the industry. Through the showcase, NFPA aims to provide opportunities for attendees to see and explore solutions that are either on the horizon or currently available in the market. Focused on hands-on opportunities, attendees will have opportunity to interact with product and immersive virtual reality experiences.

The show floor will also be kept lively with a daily cash-prize drawing. Sponsored by NAPCO Security Technologies, attendees will have the chance to win $1,000 cash each day of the expo. To enter, attendees will have to complete a ballot from their official registration bag, have it validated at the NAPCO Security Technologies’ booth #1245, drop it off at the official ballot box and be present at the cash prize stage at the time of the drawing. The drawings will take place 15 minutes before the close of the show each day at the cash prize stage.

Education

There will more than 120 education sessions on a variety of topics offered at this year’s NFPA conference. Sessions will typically last one hour, and begin as early as 8:00 a.m. and end as late as 6:00 p.m. A few sessions to note follow.

James Peterkin, PE, of TLC Engineering for Architecture, will present on “The Future of Healthcare Regulations.” A panel will be included in this presentation and speak to health-care section codes and standards, the NFPA process and recent significant changes to the codes, such as NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, and NFPA 101, Life Safety Code. There will also be a focus on proposed motions that will be heard at the conference technical meeting.

Jim Reidy, lieutenant at the San Antonio Fire Department, will present “Culture, Cancer, and Firefighting PPE — If You Permit It, You Promote It.” Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that firefighters wear is designed to protect them. But firefighters are regularly exposed to carcinogen contamination through dermal exposure, inhalation exposure and off-gassing. This presentation will provide attendees with an overview of the cancer-causing carcinogen and offer up-to-date data on realistic protection expectations and proven strategies and practices for contamination reduction.

Jeff Sargent, principal and electrical specialist for NFPA, will present “Meeting the Inspection Challenges of an Evolving NEC.” Each new edition of the National Electric Code (NEC) adds new requirements addressing new technologies. The electrical inspection community must evolve in response as these new technologies become a part of the electrical infrastructure of the buildings they are inspecting. During this presentation, a panel of authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) will discuss how they are preparing for and conducting electrical inspections in today's evolving electrical systems.

Chris Christopoulos, fire chief and director of emergency management for the Lebanon Fire Department, will present “Portable Pipelines — Is Your Community Prepared?” The demand for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) continues to increase throughout the United States, including areas without access to natural gas via pipeline. Such areas rely on portable pipelines designed to provide natural gas to areas not served by traditional pipelines. This presentation will explore the components, bulk transportation and fire code challenges associated with the technology.

Technical Meeting

Each year, this meeting is an important element in the standards development process and ensuring that consensus is achieved on proposed changes to NFPA standards prior to Standards Council review. During the meeting, supporters and opponents of certified motions voice their opinions and qualified NFPA members vote on proposed changes. This year’s meeting is scheduled for June 20 at 8:00 a.m.

According to the NFPA rules, only Certified Amending Motions (CAMs) with valid sign-in and proper follow-up motions will be allowed for NFPA Standards processed in the fall 2018 and annual 2019 revision cycles. The agenda for the meeting will include the standards with CAMs as indicated in the Reports of the Motions Committee on CAMs. The list includes the following. 

The Report of the Motions Committee on Certified Amending Motions for the fall 2018 revision cycle; the Report of the Motions Committee on Certified Amending Motions for the annual 2019 revision cycle; and a third Report of the Motions Committee for NFPA 2, NFPA 25, NFPA 70, NFPA 78, NFPA 451, NFPA 855, NFPA 1078, NFPA 1851 and NFPA 1936; and NFPA 801, Standard for Fire Protection for Facilities Handling Radioactive Materials.

The following six standards processed in the annual 2019 revision cycle that have CAMs eligible for presentation and action at the 2019 NFPA Technical Meeting: NFPA 58, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code; NFPA 130, Standard for Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems; NFPA 302, Fire Protection Standard for Pleasure and Commercial Motor Craft; NFPA 502, Standard for Road Tunnels, Bridges, and Other Limited Access Highways; NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids; and NFPA 1961, Standard on Fire Hose.

The following additional 15 standards in the annual 2019 revision cycle have been determined by the Motions Committee to be Consent Standards and shall be forwarded to the Standards Council for balloting: NFPA 55, Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids Code; NFPA 405, Standard for the Recurring Proficiency of Airport Fire Fighters; NFPA 412, Standard for Evaluating Aircraft Rescue and Fire-Fighting Foam Equipment; NFPA 414, Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Fire-Fighting Vehicles; NFPA 556, Guide on Methods for Evaluating Fire Hazard to Occupants of Passenger Road Vehicles; NFPA 557, Standard for Determination of Fire Loads for Use in Structural Fire Protection Design; NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems; NFPA 820, Standard for Fire Protection in Wastewater Treatment and Collection Facilities; NFPA 1082, Standard for Facilities Safety Director Professional Qualifications; NFPA 1300, Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development; NFPA 1452, Guide for Training Fire Service Personnel to Conduct Community Risk Reduction; NFPA 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments; NFPA 1720, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments; NFPA 1936, Standard on Powered Rescue Tools; NFPA 1961, Standard on Fire Hose; and NFPA 2113, Standard on Selection, Care, Use, and Maintenance of Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Short-Duration Thermal Exposures from Fire.

The following documents have modified or custom schedules and later NITMAM closing dates: NFPA 2, Hydrogen Technologies Code; NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems; NFPA 70, National Electrical Code; NFPA 78, Guide on Electrical Inspections; NFPA 451, Guide for Community Health Care Programs; NFPA 855, Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems; NFPA 1078, Standard for Electrical Inspector Professional Qualifications; NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting; and NFPA 1936, Standard on Powered Rescue Tools.

Note that NFPA bylaws state that only NFPA members of record 180 days before the opening of any annual, regular, special or technical meeting of the NFPA membership who have duly registered and paid any registration fees for the meeting are entitled to vote at the technical meeting. Also, voting by proxy will not be permitted, and the vote of each voting NFPA member will be cast by that member individually.

Learn more about NFPA 2019 at www.nfpa.org.